Device for treating slimes.



No. 738,329. PATBNTED SEPT. 8, 1903. w. n HQLDHRMAN.

DEVICE FOR TREATING SLIMES.

APPLIOATIQE Hum INN/.16. 1902.

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PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

W. E. HOLDERMAN. DEVICE FOR TREATING SLIMES.

APPLIGATION TILED NOV. 15, 1902.

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ratentea September 8, 190a.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. IIOLDERMAN, OF MARYSVALE, UTAH.

DEVICE FOR TREATING SLIME S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,329, dated September 8, 1903. Application filed November 15,1902. SerialNo. 131.584. (NomodelJ T0 at whom it may concern:

- Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. HOLDER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marysvale, in the county of Pinto and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Treating Slimes of Mineral-Bearing Quartz; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. I

My invention relates to leaching or cyanidin g tanks for the economical extraction of the precious metals from the tailings and slimes that are produced during the process of pulverizin g the mineral bearing quartz or gangue. It provides effective meanst'orseparating the valuable from the waste material and in conducting these resultants to separate depositories. It is compact, strong, cheaply made, and susceptible of duplication to any desired extent. I am aware that there are different tanks anddevices in use to accomplish this result; but I am not aware that anyone else has ever used my form of tank, by which I am enabledto save ninety per cent. to ninety-five per cent. of the precious metals contained in the slime. I attain these results by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa front elevation of the invention arranged in duplicate series. Fig. 2 is a perspective of a single tank and a portion of another tank thereon. Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation of a single tank, partly broken away; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan of a single tank.

Like letters refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

The letter A indicates a liquid-tight tank or case, made of any preferred material and provided with a discharge-pipe a through the bottom. Valves a are supplied to these pipes.

13 B are vertical strips attached to the four sides of the tank, and b l) are corresponding strips laid upon the open fioor C, which is inclined downward from the back to the front of each tank.

A filtering-cloth or other textile e is arranged in the tank, being preferably suspended from the top, where its edges are held beneath the molding 0. sides rest against the strips B B and b b. Pipes D D, furnished with stoppers (1 cl, lead from the bottom of the filter out through the case A. I

In operation the slime or gangue is put with the cyanid solution in the upper filters and thoroughly mixed therein. If it is desired to allow a considerable time for the leaching process, as'is necessaryin some cases,the pipes a and D are closed. When the solution has effected its purpose, the valves a are opened and the filtered metal bearing solution is drawn out and run into the receiver F, the solution having passed through thetextile and the spaces between the strips B and b and into'the space beneath the floor G. The stoppers 01 are now removed from the pipes D, and the slime flows out from the filter into the filter of the next tank below, where it is washed and filtered again or leached again with the cyanid solution and then passed down into the next lower tank. This process is continued until the residue is let out into the troughs G and is conveyed away to the dump. As soon as the upper tank is emptied it is filled again with new material, so that the op eration is kept up continuously. The washing referred to may be accomplished with water delivered through a hose at any stage of the operation, or the spent liquor, impregmated with cyanid, after the precious metal has been extracted from it may be advantageously used.

In a series of these tanksthey are arranged in stair-like succession, so as to transmit from each tank to the one next belowit the re siduum therein, where it is further subjected to the leaching and filtering process, the valuable Wash being drained off from each tank as the operation proceeds into a common receptacle and the waste conducted to the dump.

Having described my invention and the manner of using it, what I claim, and desire to secure, is-

Its bottom and four from the bottom of each tank a conduit E to receive the discharge from said pipes, at reservoirinto which said conduit discharges, and pipes in each tank provided with stoppers discharging from the filters through the outer case, into the tank next below it, the pipes from the lowest tank discharging into a wastetrough as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. HOLDERMAN.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL L. PAGE,

EZRA A. THOMPSON. 

